Herbert ii



(No Model.)

J. H. & H. H. DOW.

EOTAEY STEAM ENGINE. No. 403.335. Patented May 14, 1889.

III

N, PEfElsnPhowLMwgraphun wnhingwn. D. t;

UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE..

JOSEPH H. DOXV AND HERBERT H. DOV, BOTH OF CLEVELAND, OHIO; SAID HERBERT H. DOV ASSIGNOR TO ILLIAM CTHSHOLM, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,335, dated May 14, 1889.

Application led August 25, 1888. Serial No. 283,751. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH H. DOW and HERBERT H. DOW, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines; and we dorherebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relat-es to improvements in the rotary engine shown and described in Letters Patent No. 392,545, granted November G, 1888; and it consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation in longitudinal section through the center of the engine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, the cylinder-head of the foreground being removed and portions being broken away to show the construction.

A represents the body or shell of the engine, to which are detachably secured heads B, the latter having suitable boxes, in which is journaled the engine-shaft D. The shell A is provided with internal flanges, a, these flanges being faced off and serew-threaded at the internal periphery to receive disks O, the latter being screw-threaded at C for engaging the aforesaid flanges. The two flanges and the backs of these disks are separated to form steam-chamber A', the latter connecting with induction-pipes a. The shell A terminates in a supporting-base, A2, to which haust-pipe ai is attached, the latter connecting with exhaust-chamber A3. The disks O, on the outer faces thereof, are provided, respectively, with series of curved wings or chutes c, each series being arranged in 'concentric order with the axis of the shaft D. The different win c of a series are separated the one from the other to form ports c', the latter being preferably arr( nged in the curved order shown in Fig. 2. (See dotted line c @c with center E are rotating disks or wheels, the same being mounted on an d secured to shaftD. These disks have lon g hubs E proj cctin g toward each other and nearly meeting on the shaft, leaving room only for the intermediate disk, d, the latter also being made fast to the shaft. The faces of wheels E are provided with series of curved buckets c, th at alternate with wings c, a series of buckets operating between series of wings, and vice versa, the vents e being laid out on curved lines the reverse of line fr, and these vents c being less in aggregate area of discharge than the aforesaid ports c', the object being to utilize the reactive force of steam rather than the impact of steam, and by means of the ports and vents being arranged on curved lines, deilecting in opposite directions, as shown, the openings of the different series of buckets and wings can be made to cross each other at substantially equal angles throughout the series and at such angles as will give the greatest effectiveness, sueh angles at present advised being approximately right angles. `This class of engines is intended to run at a very high speed, and to avoid friction the disk C and wings c do not come in Contact with the opposing wheels E and buckets e, although the clearance at the ends of the wings and'buckets is very small-say a two-hundredth part of an inch, more or less.

Heretofore the great difficulty has been to hold the shaft D endwise. The high speed attained was such that ordinary collars caused too much friction, and were consequently worthless for such purpose. Ourimproved mechanism is as follows: The aforesaid disk d overlaps in radial direction the inner periphery of the disks C. The latter are screw-threaded at c2 to engage rings or collars G, the latter being screw-threaded externally. These rings are provided with lockenuts g. The rings are adjusted toward or from disk d to leave suitable and equal passage ways or portsft' and Q1 for the passage of steam from chamber A to chamber K, from which latter the steam passes between the disks O and opposing wheels E ma ports c and vents e to the exhaust-chamber. Rings G having been adjusted and secured by the respective lock-nuts, so long as there is no disturbing cause spaces 'i and c" will remain equal and an equal volume of steam will issue IOO to the two sides of the engine; but suppose from any cause the shaft were moved toward, for instance, what is the right-hand side, as shown in. Fig. l, such a movement would partially close the passage-way or port t', and Awould consequently shut oit a portion of the steam to the right-hand side of the engine, and would at the same time further separate disk C and wheel E at this side of the engine. 'lhe reduction of steam-volume and the widening of steamspace between the disk and wheel would tend to diminish the endwise pressure on the shaft, while on the other side ol' the engine the reverse would take placethat is to say, steamspaee 'i' would enlarge, thereby giving greater volume of steam on this the lett-hand side of the engine, and the disk and wheel on the left hand side ot' the engine would approach each other, thereby decreasing the steam-space between the two, and consequently giving g'reater steampressure to act in the opposite direction end wise of the shaft, all of which would tend to return the shaft to its central or normal position lengthwise of the engine. The apparatus whereby a steam-balance is thus had is very sensitive, by reason of which the buckets iziay run in close proximity to their seats without absolute contact, t-hus avoiding' all i'riction except at the j ournal-bearings of the engine-shaft. In place of a single disk, d, rigidly secured to the shaft, two such disks might be employed, and these might be adjusted lengthwise of the shaft instead of the adjusting-rings G; also, the curved lines on which the vents and ports are laid out need not necessarily be on true circles.

A\Vhat we claim isl. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination, with stationary disks with steam-chainber located between the disks and opposing rotating wheels located outside the disks, the wheels bein g mounted on the enginesl1att,sul' stantiall y as indicated, of an engine-shaft, and a disk mounted on the engine-shaft between the line oli' the stationary disks, said rotating disk extending into and dividing the ed uction et the said steam-chamber, substantially as set .toi-th.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of shat't carrying with it two wheels and a disk between them, these wheels beingopposedinwardly by stationary disks, the central or revolving disks being opposed on opposite sides by rings connected with the stationary disks, leaving annular spaces between the central disk and rings that act as steam-ports, substantially as set forth. y

The combination, with a rotary engine oli' the variety indicated, having stationary disks and movable disk, the latter being mounted on the engine-shaft and extendiiig into the steam-space between the stationary disks, ot rings mounted on such stationary disks and adjustable toward and trom the rotating disk, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with stationary disks and intervening .rotating disk, the latter be* ing mounted on the engine-shaft, substantially as indicated, of screw-threaded rings engaging the stationary disks, such rings being adjustable toward and from the rotating disk, and locknuts mounted on the respective rings, substantially as set torth.

5. In a rot: `y engine, the combination ot' stationary disks and rotating wheels, the former bearing wings separated so as to form intervening ports and the latter bearing buckets separated so as to form intervening vents, the system of ports and vents being' arranged in curved lines detlecting in opposite directions, the aggregate area of the vents being less than the aggregate area ot' the ports, snbstantially as set forth.

(l. In a rotary engine, the con'ibination, with stationary disks provided with a curved series of ports, and revolving wheels provided with a curved series ol' vents, the latter being aranged in curved lines deilecting in opposite directions to those of the ports, said revolving wheels being provided with inwardlyprojecting limbs, ol a revolving disk located on the shaft between the adjacent en ds ol said limbs and extending into and dividing the steamoutlet of the steam-chamber, substantially as set forth. Y

In testimony whereof we sign thisspecil'ication, in the presence of two witnesses, th is l 5th day of May, IESS.

JOSEPH II. DOW. HERBERT ll. DOW. XVitn esses:

Cans. I l'. Donna, ALBERT E. LYNCH. 

